


Beginnings

by missema



Series: Kirkwall Tech [6]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age II
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Backstory, F/M, First Meetings, Kirkwall Tech
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-03
Updated: 2018-10-03
Packaged: 2019-07-24 18:14:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16180508
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/missema/pseuds/missema
Summary: When did Melissa and Sebastian first meet? In class, but they didn't notice each other right away. He thought of her as the Fereldan Gunner, and she called him Ser Sweatpants.They had no idea what their future held.





	Beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> Separately these two pieces are called 'The Fereldan Gunner' and 'Group Work'

The first time he saw her, they were in a lecture. It was boring, by all accounts, but Sebastian sat near to the front to keep himself honest. If he were too close to the exits, he would definitely walk out of some of them. This one was in the afternoon, after he'd eaten and could get fully invested in skipping it for the chance to go home and take a long nap. It wasn't a large class, and there were plenty of extra seats available. He never sat in the same seat, but in the general vicinity of the front.

When she sat down next to him, he noticed her. Short and skinny, she was pretty, but in a scrappy, ragged way that made him think she spent her off time working down in the mechanical engineering labs. She had long black hair that had a peculiar sort of wave to it, as if she couldn't be bothered to straighten it fully. The most beguiling thing about her was her mouth, and Sebastian occasionally realized during the class that he was stealing glances at her full, soft-looking lips, the way she chewed on the end of her pen as she took notes by hand, even though he saw she had a laptop in her bag.

She was sitting primly at their shared table, a cup of coffee, her notebook and pen all arranged neatly. She was so intent on the lecture, he doubted she even noticed him. In fact, she probably wouldn't have at all, if she hadn't asked a question.

"Excuse me, I'm not clear on that last example," she said, stopping the professor before he went on. "Can you walk through the last few steps again?"

It wasn't until he heard her voice that Sebastian realized who she was. It was the _Fereldan Gunner_ , as he called her in his head. Every week she asked a question or made them walk through examples. Every week she got the best scores in the class, as if she were showing them what her attention and questions were for. Hawke was her name, and he could hear the southern Ferelden in her accent. They could see it at the top of the scores for each test and midterm, and here he was at the end of the semester just figuring it all out. Finally, he was able to put a name to the voice of the girl that spent her time making the classwork look like she could teach it.

"Where do you need clarification?" the professor asked, looking up at her. While she explained what she wanted, Sebastian watched her, a little mesmerized by her. How had he not noticed her before? When she finished speaking, she grinned sheepishly at the professor, wordlessly apologizing for making him go back. She was much prettier now that he could look properly at her, instead of just stealing the odd glance. Her hands moved when she spoke, and she had dimples that bracketed either side of her wide smile. Maker help him, he noticed her fingernails, painted pale pink and chipped.

When the professor turned back to start going over the steps again, she turned towards him for the first time. It was quick, just a glance, but he must have been smiling at her, because she looked startled, but then shot a smile back at him before turning her attention back to the lecture and the re-examined example that was being explained again. But in that moment, her surprised little grin set a thousand ships to sail in his heart.

He should talk to her after class. See if he could borrow her notes or something. See if she wanted to study together or get something to eat. Sebastian chased a couple of ideas in his head, only half paying attention to the clarification she'd sought. This was a stupid train of thought, he knew, because he'd never ask her out. He couldn't really have a girlfriend, or at least he wasn't sure if he should. But then again, what was the harm in asking about her notes? She got the best grades, and he could do better.

The lecture ended soon after, and he still hadn't figured out what he wanted to say to her.

"Hawke!" a voice called, and she and Sebastian both looked up to see Isabela. Everyone knew Isabela, but Hawke waved and put her things in her bag quickly before taking the steps out of the tiered lecture hall two at a time to meet Isabela. Sebastian grabbed his own things, shoving his laptop down into his bag and departing the hall himself.

They were still in the building, but far enough away he'd have to run to catch up to them. They were talking, and Hawke's hands were flying as she explained something that made Isabela laugh. Isabela was a beautiful woman, all curves and soft brown hair and gold jewelry, but Hawke was just as gorgeous in her own way. The two of them together were a feast for his eyes, until he started to wonder if Isabela was Hawke's girlfriend.

He'd ask around. He wanted to know more about Hawke, now that she'd bestowed her smile upon him.

#

Classes with group work were generally pretty awful. Classes where the professor assigned the groups were the worst.

Melissa had one last group project this semester, with an assigned group and she was dreading it. She already had to work all the time and when she wasn't working or studying, she'd just started seeing someone. It was new, and she could admit that it was taking up a lot of her time.

What she didn't have time for was this project, but it refused to be ignored. By email her group finally settled on a time to get together and start delegating the work. They had a month, but the end of the semester was full of projects and finals and papers. The sooner they finished this, the better for her. At least she could start her part independently and then they'd meet again next week to go over everything.

She met up with her group in the library, certain that at least two members of it hadn't gone to class at all during the semester. That meant this work would either make or break their grade and they'd either put in all their effort or none. She wasn't looking forward to finding out which camp they landed in, but she hoped it was worth all the effort. Melissa prepared herself to be disappointed.

"Hey Hawke," Amy said, looking relieved at the sight of her.

"Hi. Sorry I'm late, my last class ran over," Melissa said, turning to greet everyone.

"Sebastian's saving us a meeting room. We should catch up," Amy said, leading them away.

Meeting rooms were just small little offices with doors that closed and a table and chairs, but it was easier to talk their any place else in the library. Sebastian was the last member of the group, a guy she knew by sight but not his name. They'd been in a couple classes before together. Secretly, she called him _Ser Sweatpants_ , because she always saw him wearing a different pair, but never jeans. He was handsome, tall, with hair that seemed like it couldn't decide if it wanted to be red or brown, but something inbetween. He gave her a smile complete with a glint of perfect white teeth, and Hawke managed a quick one in return. He'd been waiting outside the room for them, his backpack and laptop already set up inside.

"Do we all know each other?" Amy asked, and there followed a round of introductions. Hawke went first, and then promptly forgot the names of everyone except Amy, whom she already knew and Sebastian. Sebastian's accent placed him obviously from Starkhaven, though that was nothing more than a place to her Ferelden mind.

Hawke might have paid him more mind if she hadn't just started dating someone. She might have caught on to the fact that he didn't smile at anyone else, or that when they delegated parts of the assignment, he asked her first what she wanted. But she didn't notice, because she was caught up in her own world, and this group project was just one more thing to get through.

But what she did see was that Sebastian was kind, and he had beautiful blue eyes. At the end of the semester, he'd done his share of the project well, and she really couldn't ask for more than that.

She knew him, but she hadn't noticed him yet.


End file.
